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Of Injuries done to our Neigh bour's Reputation, and Good

Name.

A

Good Name is better than precious Ointment. Eccl. 7. 1. And accordingly, as all other precious things, ought very highly to be valued and fecured.

Not only for that private Benefit which it brings to a Man's own Perfon, (a good Report maketh the Bones fat. Prov. 15. 30.) but chiefly for that Publick Capacity which it gives us, to be more fignally Inftrumental to the Welfare of Others.

And therefore, to injure a Man's Reputation, and to deprive him of his Good Name, is the highest Injustice.

Now there are Two Principal Ways, to which all Others may be reduced, whereby this Injury

may

may be done. 1. Slander. 2. De

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traction.

Of Slander.

T

to fpeak

O Slander, is
falfly against our Neigh-

bour to his Prejudice. By accufing him of fuch Defects and Vices, as he is not guilty of. Which may be done, Either

1. Publickly. By accufing him before a Court of Justice. When falfe Witneffes fhall rise up, and in David's Phrafe, lay to his Charge things that he knew not. Pfal. 35. 11. Or, 35.11.

2. Privately. When Malicious Defigning People do run about into all Companies, Whispering their Poisonous Stories, and Infinuating their falfe Reports. Which is ufually done in this Method.

I. Some

1. Sometimes the Slanderer doth invent the Story. And, in plain English, is guilty of a down-right Lye.

Such a Man Said or did fuch a Thing; which he never faid or did in his whole Life. Or,

2. If he did not invent it, yet if he reports it as a Truth, when he knows it to be falfe. Qr,

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3. Having no certain Knowledge whether it be falfe or No, if then he doth Divulge it with fuch Artifice and Defign, as may Difpofe and Prejudice the Hearers to Believe it. He who doth thus, in any of thefe Ways, Report a Falfhood, he is guilty of Slander.

Nay further,

4. A Man may be guilty of Stander by fpeaking Truth: For all Truths are not to be fpoken. At least, not at all Times, or before all Perfons.

Indeed, Where the Glory of God, and the Publick Welfare are Concerned, the Faults of Men are not to be Concealed, but may and ought to be Publifhed.

But when such Discovery shall be Unfeafonable, and Uncharitable; And the Faults of a Man fhall be Reported out of Spleen and Revenge; only to diminifh his Efteem and Reputation in the World: In fuch Circumftances, the Reporting even of Truth, may be a Slander.

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O Detract, according to the Notation of the Word, is to take off, or withdraw from, to leffen or impair the Reputation of another. It is to deny our Neighbour to have thofe Virtues and Endowments, which he really hath.

Wherein the Detractor commonly proceeds in this Method.

1. Being to give a Character of another, he chiefly takes notice of his Faults and Failings, (which to be fure no man can want;) and thefe he aggravates and improves. And not only real Faults, but even the Sufpicions of them; the Whispers and Jealoufies of Malicious People thall be infifted upon.

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